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Hurt in a crash in Alabama? What claims cost, and the rules that decide it.

Bills, missed work, an insurer already calling? Here are Alabama's claim numbers, your deadline and the fault rule. Asking for a call is free, and you can say no.

General information, not legal advice. Updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending

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On this page
  1. What injury claims cost insurers in Alabama
  2. Real results from the Birmingham area
  3. Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in Alabama
  4. Two years, with exceptions.
  5. Contributory negligence is the Alabama rule.
  6. Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.
  7. Who you have to tell, and when.
  8. Who writes the report decides where you get it.
  9. Questions
  10. Sources

What claims cost

What injury claims cost insurers in Alabama

No source we found reports what claims cost insurers inside any one city, so these numbers are for all of Alabama. Each figure says what it is and where it comes from.

$586.4 millionin bodily injury liability losses insurers recorded for Alabama crashes (Table 8B: $586,434,127 across 27,735 claims), accidents in 2022Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.Source: NAIC (Table 8B, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 42).
$21,144average insurer loss per bodily injury liability claim in Alabama ($21,144.19 exactly), accidents in 2022Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.Source: NAIC (Table 8D, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 44).
$28,278Many claims are smallerwhat the average bodily injury liability claim cost insurers, 2024Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.Source: Triple-I / ISO.
$6.44 billionestimated total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in Alabama (about $1,313 per person), 2019A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.Source: NHTSA (Table 6-1, p. 100).
About these numbers
  • $586.4 million Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.
  • $21,144 Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.
  • $28,278 Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.
  • $6.44 billion A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.

These are averages and totals across many claims. They describe what insurers and courts have done, not what any one claim is worth. Every case is different, and most claims end in a settlement, which is often far less than a headline verdict. CrashFirst is not a law firm and cannot tell you what your claim is worth.

Real examples

Real results from the Birmingham area

Past results do not predict yours.These are real, public results, picked to show a range rather than the biggest numbers. Each turned on its own facts. CrashFirst has no results of its own and does not say you would get anything like them.

  • Small · 2024

    A Jefferson County jury awarded $15,000 after a rear-end crash.

    In Gadsden v. Johnson (Bessemer division), a woman said a July 2021 rear-end crash caused multiple disc bulges and soft-tissue injuries. The defendant disputed that the crash caused the disc bulges. In February 2024 the jury awarded $15,000, which the reporter says was less than 65% of her claimed medical expenses.

    Source: Alabama Jury Verdict Reporter, March 2024 (24 AJVR 3): Gadsden v. Johnson, No. 22-900011, Jefferson County Circuit Court (p. 1: Verdict $15,000 for plaintiff; Circuit: Jefferson, 2-7-24)

  • Middle (neighboring county) · 2026

    A Shelby County, Alabama, jury awarded $220,000 for a spinal fusion after a rear-end crash.

    In Clayton v. Jones, a woman stopped to turn left on Alabama 17 was rear-ended by a 15,000-pound company truck in November 2020 and needed cervical disc fusion surgery. In May 2026 a jury awarded $220,000 ($210,000 to her and $10,000 to her son, a passenger). Shelby County borders Jefferson County, where Birmingham is.

    Source: Alabama Jury Verdict Reporter, September 2026 (26 AJVR 9): Clayton v. Jones, No. 22-900666, Shelby County (AL) Circuit Court (p. 7: Verdict $220,000 for plaintiffs; Circuit: Shelby, 5-15-26)

  • Headline vs collectable · 2022

    A $3.2 million judgment, and a $300,000 limit on one defendant.

    A Jefferson County judge entered a $3.2 million judgment for five people hurt when a Birmingham police cruiser crashed into a car in March 2020. WBRC reported that “the city is only responsible for $300,000,” with the officer facing the rest. A headline number and what can be collected are different things.

    Source: WBRC, $3.2 million judgement against the City of Birmingham for officer-involved crash (Feb. 16, 2022)

The problems here

Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in Alabama

When the other side has no insurance, or the bills keep coming before anything is settled, the money problem is real. These are the state numbers we could source.

6.0%of Alabama people with a credit record had medical debt in collections (median $1,339), Aug. 2026Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.Source: Urban Institute (Alabama row, medcoll = .0597576; medcollpos_p50 = 1339).
16.8%of Alabama drivers estimated to be uninsured, 2023The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.Source: Triple-I / IRC (Estimated Percentage of Uninsured Motorists by State, 2023).
About these numbers
  • 6.0% Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.
  • 16.8% The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.
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Deadline

Two years, with exceptions.

In most Alabama injury cases a lawsuit has to be filed within two years (Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l)). Wrongful death is two years from the death, children and some others get extra time, and claims against a city or town have a much shorter notice period. The full rule, the statute text and the exceptions are on the Alabama statute of limitations page.

Fault

Contributory negligence is the Alabama rule.

The Alabama Supreme Court describes contributory negligence as a defense that the defendant must prove, and has declined to replace it with comparative negligence. What the two opinions say, in their own words, is on is Alabama a contributory negligence state?. Tennessee works differently; see Tennessee fault rules.

Insurance

Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.

What the minimum limits are and how uninsured motorist coverage is offered and rejected: Alabama minimum car insurance.

Reporting

Who you have to tell, and when.

Immediate notice to the police when anyone is hurt, and a written report to the state within 30 days in some crashes: Alabama accident reporting requirements.

Crash reports

Who writes the report decides where you get it.

For Birmingham police and ALEA reports, with fees, hours and who can request one, see how to get a Birmingham police accident report. Where fatal crashes happen in Jefferson County: the Birmingham Crash Report 2026.

More in Alabama

Keep reading

Sources

Page last updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Alabama?

Generally two years for injury to a person. Section 6-2-38(l) says such actions "must be brought within two years." [1] Exceptions exist, and claims against a city or town can have much shorter notice deadlines, so ask an attorney about your situation.

Is Alabama a contributory negligence state?

Yes, according to the Alabama Supreme Court, which has called contributory negligence "an affirmative and complete defense to a claim based on negligence." [2] How it applies to a particular crash is a question for an attorney.

What is the minimum car insurance in Alabama?

$25,000 for injury to or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $25,000 for property damage, in any one accident [3].

Do I have to call the police after a crash in Alabama?

If anyone is injured or killed, the driver must give notice "immediately by the quickest means of communication" to the local police if the crash is inside a municipality, otherwise to the county sheriff or the state highway patrol [4]. A written report to the state is also due within 30 days in some crashes; see the reporting rules.

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